Out Every Night: The Best Concerts in St. Louis From June 9 to 15

The Pat Sajak Assassins CD Release
Friday, June 13, 9 p.m.
w/ Tennis Lesson, The Leads
@ The Heavy Anchor - $5By Allison Babka
From the 2014 RFT Music Awards: Remember how Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Yes were widely credited with cementing the legitimacy of the progressive rock genre in the late '60s and early '70s? How they heralded an evolution for music? Well, we might end up saying the same thing about the Pat Sajak Assassins decades from now. As a band that relies more upon instrumental layering instead of front-and-center vocals, PSA already shifts from the norm. But it's more than that -- the band also stacks synth, bass and percussion in ways that jolt listeners into truly hearing each beep and boop and set a new standard for music composition. Played in any order, the songs become an opera fit for R2-D2, and we can't wait to welcome our new robot overlords.

Breakmouth Annie
Friday, June 13, 9 p.m.
w/ The Cuban Missiles, The Haddonfields, Horror Section
@ Schlafly Tap Room - freeBy Michael Dauphin
From the 2014 RFT Music Awards: After gigging around for the last couple years, Breakmouth Annie just recently had its official coming-out party via its first recording, a split seven-inch with the Winchester (Throwing Things Records). The tunes are fast, gritty and heavy, and they drum up the spirit of genuine pre-Blink-182 pop-punk. Singer Bob Monroe's earnest, barbed-wire howl cuts through the thick wall of unmistakable Les Paul distortion, making these songs stick in you like a fishing hook -- and it's easier to just leave them in your head and flounder around than to try to force them out.

The Lion's Daughter/Nights Like These Split 7" Release
w/ Everything Went Black, Anodes, Hell Night
Saturday, June 14, 9 p.m.
@ The Ready Room - $5By Daniel Hill
Memphis metallic hardcore outfit Nights Like These to release a split seven-inch serving one of the noblest of causes: All proceeds will go to benefit stray dog and cat organizations in both bands' hometowns. And when they say "all" they mean it -- all money from sales of the record at the door for this show will be donated. Even the recording work and art was done pro bono, to maximize the potential donation. And if that doesn't pique your interest, perhaps the fact that this is Nights Like These's first recording in eight years will sell you. TLD's press release sums up the mission statement of this project in appropriately metal fashion. Says vocalist Rick Giordano, "This record gives us an opportunity to release a new song, put out a seven-inch with a great band of old friends and most importantly contribute funds to an organization that saves the lives of awesome creatures who, in our opinion, are far superior to humans."

World Party
Saturday, June 14, 8 p.m.
w/ Gabriel Kelley
@ Off Broadway - $20-$23By Roy Kasten
The nice guys of rock music don't finish first or last by definition, and often they don't finish at all. Such is the case with Karl Wallinger, the songwriter behind UK alterna-pop band World Party (and one-time member of the legendary Waterboys), who suffered a life-threatening aneurysm in 2001, just as his band was celebrating the tenth anniversary of its best album Goodbye Jumbo. Unable to speak, let alone perform, Wallinger needed five years to recuperate, and since then his recorded output has been fitful at best. He remains, however, one of the great Beatlemaniacs, a pop auteur who loves pure fun as much as progressive politics, and, on a good night, a performer of the first rank. The music of opener Gabriel Kelley couldn't be more different from the headliner; no matter, his rugged, blues-powered folk more than merits your patronage.

Press Photo

King Khan and the Shrines
Sunday, June 15, 9 p.m.
w/ Red Mass, The Sueves
@ Off Broadway - $15-$18By Keegan Hamilton
From this 2010 show review: Make no mistake, Khan was the star of this show. Others have compared him to a cross between James Brown and Iggy Pop. That's a fairly accurate approximation, but really he's an entity all his own. He unleashes the same "ughs!" "owws!" and "huhs!" as the Godfather of Soul and has the same exhibitionist impulses as Iggy, but he also has the nonchalant vibe of a lounge singer who is utterly confident in both his cool and his shtick. Several times he just stepped back from the mic, cocked his head to the side to see what was happening (on two occasions women from the audience had climbed on stage to dance), and smirked, as if to say "goddamn, this is fun!"

Note: Though we wish we could, we can't feature every great show happening in town in just one measly post. Look for plenty more recommendations this Friday in our weekend shows post, and peruse the St. Louis concert calendar for more ideas any time. Let everyone know what else you're looking forward to seeing this week in the comments below, and submit show info online any time to be considered for inclusion on these lists.